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The 'Connected Communities' Network delivers Wholesale connectivity to Communication Providers and Public Sector Organisation across the Western Isles of Scotland.

BEGINNERS GUIDE TO BROADBAND

Broadband ~ A generic term for high speed digital internet connections

'Non-stop access to the Web and e-mail, at speeds up to ten times faster than we're used to - broadband is a new way of connecting to the Internet. And it comes with exciting implications for the way we do business.'

What is a broadband connection?

A broadband connection is a fast, high bandwidth connection to the Internet that, via a special modem, is permanently online. It's the missing link, formerly filled by expensive leased lines and private networks, between small business and SOHO (small office / home office) users and the fast, efficient internet backbone.

Users pay a set monthly fee rather than being charged by time spent online, in the same way as with unmetered narrowband services. Broadband service can be provided via an existing telephone line, via cable, via fixed wireless links or via satellite.

More than 90 per cent of UK businesses now regularly use e-mail and the internet as a main communications channel and the web for sourcing information and new business leads. A broadband connection will help you to do much more with the time you spend online.

Why is broadband good?

The benefits of broadband are mainly related to the speed of the connection. The higher bandwidth provided (hence the name broadband) allows users to access websites and email much quicker! The higher speed also means that people can access many of the more feature rich areas of the Internet such as online radio, live TV and video broadcasts without waiting for a long time for the media to play. Broadband also allows you to do many things at the same time and the speed is such that more than one person is able to access the internet through the same connection at the same time if you have more than one PC and they are networked together.

How do I get broadband?

To get broadband through the Connected Communities network, either click on the ‘order now’ button at the top of the homepage or go to www.hebrides.net/ordernow.php

Please be aware that service availability is subject to survey.

Can I get broadband from Connected Communities?

The Connected Communities broadband project is already delivering broadband services to many parts of the Outer Hebrides. To find out if you’re in an area that is able to receive broadband look at the 'community' section of the order form or contact John Macdonald on 01851707324 or john.macdonald@hient.co.uk for more information.

How much data will I use?

To help you estimate how much data you are likely to use, please refer to these easy to understand usage guidelines below. Please be aware that usage includes data that is uploaded and downloaded by your connection.

Web browsing averages out at around 10MB/hour (MegaBytes per hour).

A single streamed broadband music video from a website is around 13MB.

Playing an online game like Counterstrike is around 10-12MB/hour.

Listening to one hour of online radio is around 18MB/hour.

Watching a streamed broadband video for one hour is around 150MB/hour.

Email is generally very small, 300 emails use around 2MB, but if you add spam and emails with virus attachments this can rise to say 6MB for 300 emails. You may also want to take into account emails with larger files attached such as photographs which can be up to 5MB per file.

Limits are displayed in GB which is a GigaByte. A GigaByte is actually 1024MB (MegaBytes).